Month: July 2013

Do you sometimes feel more like you are sleeping with a tractor than a person? Have you found yourself sleeping in another room or on the couch because you can’t stand one more night of that loud snoring, gasping, choking and rattling? While the noise may be irritating, what you may actually be hearing  is more than noise – you may be hearing the primary symptoms of sleep apnea!

Understanding Sleep Apnea

The fact is, most people with sleep apnea are not aware that they have it. They don’t hear themselves snore and they don’t realize that they have stopped breathing during an episode. All they know is that they rarely feel rested.

Does your partner exhibit any of the following symptoms to go with his or her snoring?

●      Excessive daytime sleepiness

●      Tiredness

●      Dry mouth

●      Sore throat

●      Insomnia

●      Inability to sleep through the night

●      Restlessness during the night

●      Short term memory problems

●      High blood pressure

●      Anxiety

●      Depression

●      Diabetes

●      Memory/concentration difficulties

●      Intellectual deterioration

If your bed partner – or you!– have any of these signs and symptoms, please call our Holland Michigan dental office right away. Sleep apnea can be life threatening!

How Your Holland MI dentist Can Help

We can work with a sleep center to help you get diagnosed. Once a diagnosis is established, we can offer a great alternative to the CPAP for mild to moderate sleep apnea. Dr. Huisman has a  special oral device so small it fits in the palm of your hand – the TAP III Snore Guard. It is also a great alternative for patients who can’t tolerate their CPAP machine. For more information about our comfortable sleep apnea treatments, call your sleep apnea dentist, Dr. Jeff Huisman, at 855.599.5584.

What Our Patients Have to Say

“Who wouldn’t want a good night’s sleep? My new TAP III Snore Guard does just that for me and my spouse! With uninterrupted sleep, I feel more energetic and it helps maintain my overall health. The appliance is an easy solution (according to my husband) to an annoying problem. It was custom-made to for a perfect fit. When it’s in place, I can still close my mouth and lips around it, and adjustments are easy to keep me sleeping peacefully. It’s funny how much money we spend on things that matter only a little bit but miss something that can positively affect our entire waking day.” — Candy

Going on vacation? In addition to cameras, sunscreen, and comfortable shoes or boots, you probably have a small emergency first aid kit for minor scrapes, scratches, or headaches. But dental emergencies can happen anywhere, even if you’re nowhere near our dental office in Holland.

In addition to bandages, gauze, and some antiseptic, add a small bottle of oil of cloves. (It’s not a bad idea to keep some around the house!) It can help relieve minor tooth pain if necessary. The Department of Health and Human Services has some tips for dental first aid:

Broken or knocked out tooth – Find the tooth or tooth pieces as soon as possible and gently rinse them to remove debris. If there’s bleeding, rinse the area with warm water and apply pressure with gauze. Apply a cold compress to the cheek or jaw if there’s swelling.

If a knocked out tooth can be re-inserted, gently attempt to put it back into place. This can be the best method of saving the tooth.

Toothache or abscess – Rinse the mouth with warm salt water to remove any food debris. Do NOT place aspirin at the site of the pain; it can burn the gum tissue. If there is any swelling, place a cold compress on the side of the cheek.

Bleeding from a cut or lost tooth – A cut lip, tongue, or cheek, or even a lost baby tooth can cause bleeding. Gently clean the area with a clean wet cloth and apply pressure for about 15 minutes. You can also apply ice or a cold compress to the area. If the bleeding doesn’t stop after 15 minutes, get to a dentist or doctor as soon as possible.

Accidents can happen anywhere. A few precautions and a little preparedness will help you get back to your vacation fun as soon as possible. When you return, it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment at our dental office in Holland to have the tooth or cut examined. If necessary, we will restore your tooth with bonding, a crown, or any of the restorative or esthetic dental services we provide at Huisman Family Dentistry.